January takes its name from the Roman god, Janus, who looks back to the past and forward to the future--a model for resolution-making.

Happier New Year

some tips for making resolutions stick

By Martha Coventry

Originally published on December 30, 2004; updated on January 12, 2005

New Year's resolutions--whenever they're made--need to be full
of hope. When we voice what we want for ourselves in the coming
year, we shouldn't think about how bad we've been in the past, but
about what great possibilities lie ahead.

But we need to pay attention so that the thrill of a clean start
doesn't turn into self-recrimination as we watch ourselves slide
back into unwanted habits or, worse yet, not care enough about our
dreams to follow through.

"We make resolutions every year as a kind of reckoning of the
self when the long, dark nights start turning shorter and we think
of new beginnings," says U psychology professor Marti Hope
Gonzales. "But research shows that six weeks after people make
their New Year's resolutions, 80 percent have either broken them or
couldn't remember what they were."

"Write down your resolution at the top of a
sheet of paper--in big, bold letters--then use the rest of the
sheet to think about how you're going to achieve your goal," says
Gonzales.

In order to be successful in your resolution-making, give your
wishes some long and quiet thought--after all, you will use your
resolution to guide you through the 12 months ahead and that's a
serious commitment. Make sure it speaks to your heart and your true
desires.

Once you've decided on your goal and experienced "the emotional
buoyancy that comes with envisioning yourself as a new and better
person," says Gonzales, there are steps to take to give you the
sweet possibility of actually making your resolution real.

Gonzales suggests five things to do, all designed to make you
feel happy and satisfied when December 31, 2005, rolls around.

Watch your wording. Gonzales recommends using
the words "more" or "better" in your resolution to give yourself
credit for any effort expended in the past. For example, "I'm going
to call my mother more often," or "I'm going to make a better
effort to eat more healthfully."

Don't just make a resolution, make a plan.
"The articulation of a goal is not going to get you to that goal,"
says Gonzales. "Resolutions, in the moment we make them, have
tremendous benefits in how we feel about ourselves. Savor that
feeling. It's wonderful. Then think about the hows, the wheres, the
whens, and the fallback options that are so essential. You need a
roadmap to get you to your goal."

Write it down. "Writing something down means
it's going to stick with you longer than merely saying it out
loud," says Gonzales. "Words can disappear into the air and never
come back. Write down your resolution at the top of a sheet of
paper--in big, bold letters--then use the rest of the sheet to
think about how you're going to achieve your goal."

Start simply. When making your plan, write
down small things first that you can realistically accomplish.
"Those are the things where we have the greatest odds of success,
and success pulls us along," says Gonzales. Build in checkpoints
along the way to assess your progress and readjust your plan, if
necessary.

Ask less of yourself. "The kind of self-change
people identify in New Year's resolutions is not easy," Gonzales
says. "Remember, when we lapse in our resolution, it's a clue that
we need to revise the plan. Missteps are not a reflection of some
personal shortcoming or of something wrong with the goal, they're
an indication that we may be asking too much of ourselves. Identify
what minor success would look like."

However you approach the new year, remember to take stock of all
you have to be grateful for and use your resolution, if you make
one, as a way to see your future with fresh eyes.